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Cutty Sark

London

The Cutty Sark Gardens Project is a £3.2m contract awarded to VolkerHighways for the refurbishment of the landscaping around the historical tea clipper. The project comprised of the removal of existing paving and replacing it with high quality hard and soft landscaping.

Numerous architectural features were incorporated into the finalised design to reflect the maritime importance of the area. These included:

Angled lamp columns to represent masts

Architectural metalwork that allows foliage and climbing plants to create a ‘Green Sail'

A water feature with the ability to sequentially fill, flow and empty to represent the tidal flow of the Thames

The delivery of the project utilised the specialist capabilities of our sister companies VolkerStevin and VolkerLaser.

The old layout of the gardens had caused localised flooding within the area. To address this issue a new surface water drainage system was installed including the construction of a new outfall into the River Thames. This work was carried out by VolkerStevin and required close liaison with the Port of London Authority and the Environment Agency to obtain the necessary approvals.

VolkerHighways also worked to expose a ground roof slab to an underground car park to enable access for re-waterproofing works by VolkerLaser. The sequence and methodology of the works were carefully planned to ensure that plant and materials did not exceed the weight restrictions of the roof.

A major challenge faced on the project was the close co-ordination with three other contractors working within our site boundaries; re-building of the Cutty Sark, construction of Greenwich Pier and the refurbishment of the Greenwich Foot Tunnel. Close co-ordination of works was required to ensure that all four projects were completed successfully in advance of the Queen's visit to re-open the ship.